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Don't hide your passion: Garrett Jackson encourages students to show off their creativity

Published by Steve on Thu, 09/21/2017 - 15:17

By:

CHRIS RODEN CHRIS@LEBANONDAILYRECORD.COM

In high school, friends of Garrett Jackson had no clue about the real Garrett Jackson.
He promoted his tough guy persona as a football player and wrestler, which is definitely a part of who he was and is.
“That was the mold I was trying to fit into when I was in high school. The guys that I ran around with really enjoyed sports. I thought if they see me with this artistic side, this vulnerable side, what are they going to think about that and what are they going to do with that? I think I was more afraid what they would think about more than anything,” Jackson said.
Jackson, 29, did not let his artistic side be known until he began taking art classes at Drury with Alva Hazell.
“Alva really saw something, and he was like ‘You need to do this,’” Jackson said.
Jackson credits Hazell as a major influence on his choosing his artistic path. Jackson had plans to be a special education teacher. However, the art classes and Hazell changed that.
“I quickly found out that I really enjoyed art. I really had a passion for it and really enjoyed designing and creating things and wanted to do that full-time,” Jackson said.
So he majored in design arts. When he was about to graduate, the market crashed, and he needed something more stable than a design art job. Teaching art was his choice.

For the complete article, see today's print edition of The Daily Record, or view the e-Edition online.